Der Wolf des Dämons
by Reianshitsu
Summary: Title means: The Wolf of Demons, all characters belong to me! except the cliche werewolf idea! rated M for gore and violence! - Reianshitsu finds a superstitious town and their legend of a werewolf, he doesn't believe in it but his beliefs are tested.


_**Der Wolf des Dämons**_

_By: Rèîán§hitsü_

_**Okay I know this is a little cliché but I rather like the idea and Reianshitsu's the type of character I really enjoy scaring the crap out of. So I hope you enjoy this story too. I may do chapters I'm not sure depends on how long it ends up being. Well, we'll see now won't we? I'm going to try a little different style, let me know how you think it turns out alright? Thanks.**_

_**This story is dedicated to my friend Kanda. I hope this inspires you like you say it will.**_

**_**After Writing Notes: The first Chinese statment is "I want to bite you little idiot!" and the second from Lady Tamerina is "We will meet again." Rough translations._**

* * *

_Triberg, Germany._

_Der Wolf des Dämons__..._

Reianshitsu stood alone in front of a mansion. A cold wind blew past him, causing Reianshitsu to tighten the grip on his duffle bag. The day in itself was dismal, clouds covered the once blue sky turning it a pale gray. The fields behind the mansion stretched for nearly a half-mile before disappearing into the heavy Black Forest. Behind him was the small town of Triberg, Germany.

This mansion was on the outskirts of town. All the villagers called it _cursed_.

Reianshitsu had never been one to believe in curses, or destiny, or fate. When the villagers warned him of this place, he decided to check into it. Despite being here on vacation Reianshitsu couldn't stay away from horror.

He slowly walked up the pathway to the porch. Various weeds has grown up and died on the concrete, crunching under Reianshitsu's feet as he walked. The porch was made of old wood, so Reianshitsu was careful not to step too hard. The wood creaked as Reianshitsu stepped up to the door. He heard _something _beside him.

A rat ran out from a small hole beside the door. It ran down the porch, and around the side of the house, disappearing from Reianshitsu's sight. Reianshitsu stared off that way for a moment, hesitating, then followed the rat. He walked around the side of the house, stepping off of the porch. The tall grass reached up and brushed against his jeans. Behind the house, there was a cross roughly a couple yards away.

The cross was old, and worn down from years of enduring nature. Reianshitsu walked up to it and knelt beside it. It had ancient symbols tracing its outline, a silver outline, around what used to be a red cross. Now it looked like faded dark brown. Reianshitsu ran a finger gently across the silver outline. It was a little feigned, but it held considerably better then the red color.

Reianshitsu pulled his hand back as _crimson_ ran down his finger. He looked at the cut for a moment then back at the cross. A few drops of his blood crawled down its slender base, leaving a trail that slowly faded into the once red cross. Reianshitsu stood up, wiping his hand on his jeans, then returned his focus to the mansion.

Once inside, Reianshitsu noted there was little dust. For a mansion that was cursed and avoided by everyone, someone had to have been taking care of it. To his left was an open room full of swords, guns, and steaks. Someone had spent many years collecting those artifacts. Straight ahead was a tall staircase that led up to the second floor. There was no railing and the steps looked old. To his right was a sitting area, two couches perpendicular to each other. In front of them was a square table with a glass top.

Reianshitsu walked over toward the couches, sitting his bag on the corner of one. Under the glass on the table, were two steel bars in the shape of an 'x'. Reianshitsu glanced around the room. More collectables littered the walls. The room stretched a few hundred yards down into a dinning area where a long table and many chairs sat under a chandelier; glass in the shape of diamonds pointing down at the bare table. Lost between the table and the couches was a single fireplace, with recently burnt wood in it.

Reianshitsu knelt in front of the fireplace, opening the glass window in front of it. Running his hand across the wood is broke into pieces with the slightest touch. _Ash_ floated up in the air. Reianshitsu coughed a couple of times then shut his eyes.

"Ash could be as deadly as poison."

Reianshitsu slightly jumped but managed to hide his surprise. He stood up waving the air in front of himself and opening his eyes. A man, probably in his sixties, was standing in the doorway from the dinning room into the kitchen. He had a strange look on his face, a distant look, like his spirit had left his body.

"Do you live here? The villagers told me this place was cursed," Reianshitsu replied, wiping his face with his jacket.

When he let go of his jacket the man was standing closer to him, like he had just moved without even walking.

"My name is Christopher, Christopher Leistraut."

"Mister Leistraut," Reianshitsu spoke cautiously. "You didn't answer my question."

"I do live here. I have for thirty-seven years."

Reianshitsu looked around for a moment, then returned his gaze to the old man who was now standing a mere few feet from him. Reianshitsu's eyes widened a moment as he took a step back.

"Well sir, I'm sorry for trespassing, I was under belief this place was empty," Reianshitsu said, walking over to his bag trying not to show his rush.

"Not at all…" The old man trailed off. "Come back anytime."

"Thank you," Reianshitsu slightly bowed then took his leave. He walked somewhat quickly back down the concrete path and back into town.

_Leistraut glanced over at the fireplace. The broken wood had bloodstains. He started a fire, watching it burn he remembered. Bloody fire burns red and black. A grin stretched across his face._

Upon returning to town, one of the villagers walked up to him. He spoke of most people not returning from the mansion and that he was happy to see Reianshitsu back in one piece. The villager showed him to the hotel where Reianshitsu went up to his room and sat down on the bed.

Thoughts swam in his mind.

_That man was really creepy… The cross out back, didn't make much sense… The mansion was huge, is all that room seriously for one old man? Why did the villagers tell me it was empty? What was that smell inside? It was nostalgic… it reminded me of—_

Reianshitsu walked over to the door and unlocked it. On the other side was a young boy, glaring up at him. He looked like he worked here, maybe an _orphan_. His clothes were very worn and his cap had a hole on the top.

"Do you work here at the hotel?" Reianshitsu curiously asked, kneeling down eye level with the boy.

"Hmph, none of your business red-head," the boy replied crossing his arms. "Boss sent me to tell everyone that the gypsies arrived and are staying here for a week so keep away from them or you might get cursed."

"Well okay thanks for the warning," Reianshitsu said, standing back up straight.

The boy wandered off down the hall tapping on the next door. Reianshitsu stood in front of his open door glancing back at the bed where his bag was laying. He shut the door and walked over to it looking inside at its contents.

"What am I doing…" Reianshitsu muttered to himself, confused at his own behavior.

Reianshitsu pulled his hand back looking yet again at crimson run across it. This was the second time he'd cut himself on the first day here. Reianshitsu looked at it a moment then compared it to the one of his other hand. They looked _exactly_ the same… this couldn't be real. His right hand had been cut by an old silver cross; his left hand by his scalpel he carried with him. Yet they looked exactly the same; the same angle, same clean cut, same size, same depth.

"What in the world is going on…" Reianshitsu whispered to himself.

The last few hours before sunset passed slowly. Once night had come, Reianshitsu left the hotel after throwing his backpack up over his shoulders. The moon was nearly full, shining down on Triberg brightly. Reianshitsu walked out to the border of the forest and into the Gypsy's camp.

Orange fire lit up the camp as young girls danced around the fire. Their loose pants flowed with their movement and the slight breeze that blew past. Most had various shades of brown hair, light and dark, but one had jet black hair. She had a red gem in the shape of a crescent moon dangling in front of her forehead, tied by a gold chain that intertwined with her hair. Her long black hair that flowed down to her waist tied up in a braid in the back.

Her eyes were shut as her feet moved like the wind itself was using her. The black pants she wore came down to her ankles and rested just above her waist. She was wearing a dark red shirt; it had no sleeves and fell to half way down her rib cage. Her right ear was pierced and from it hung a scarlet red, diamond shaped gem.

Near the fire some older women sat playing Celtic instruments. The younger girls were dancing to that. Reianshitsu expected their age range to be between fourteen and eighteen. The girl he'd stopped to watch, he expected, was on the younger end of that range.

"Her name is Niamh," an older woman said, approaching him.

Reianshitsu looked at the older woman, despite her age she shone with a beauty Reianshitsu had not seen before.

"My name is Tamerina," the lady said calmly. "Why have you come to our camp Surira?"

"H-How did you know my name?" Reianshitsu asked.

"I knew you were coming," replied Tamerina. "For a reason I could not see."

"Something happened to me earlier right after I was told you were here, I figured if anyone could give me an answer it would be you."

Tamerina simply nodded then led Reianshitsu to her tent. Inside, Reianshitsu looked around in the room which was brightly decorated with various rugs and designed wall paper. The room itself was a treasure to look at, Reianshitsu thought to himself he could live in a place like this. But he didn't see many guys around, in fact he hadn't seen any at all.

He sat down across from Tamerina at a small circular table. When he returned his gaze to her, she had a look of slight worry on her face.

"What is it?" Reianshitsu asked calmly.

"You have an aura of death," the old woman replied. "You should not stay here, bad things will happen."

"What sort of things?" Reianshitsu questioned slightly leaning against the table.

Tamerina reached out and took a hold of Reianshitsu's hands. She held on like she was sincerely scared for his sake.

"Much pain will come if you do not leave tonight," Tamerina warned. "Please Surira, you need not to see anymore pain then you already have."

"The old man in the mansion…" Reianshitsu was quickly cut off.

"He is cursed, like his home… Do you intend to stop him?"

"Stop him from?"

Tamerina slightly widened her eyes then looked away taking her hands off Reianshitsu's. She commanded him to leave, to leave the village and never return. When Reianshitsu left her tent he had a feeling of uneasiness.

_What is it that man will do? Why didn't she tell me?_

He looked around realizing that the music had stopped and most everyone was gone into their tents for the night, but Niamh, she was standing on the edge of the camp, looking back toward town. Reianshitsu slowly walked up beside her.

"It's nothing to desire," he stated. "Just a bunch of superstitious people and their fantasies."

"Maybe…" The young woman replied, covering her heart with her hand. "But my heart doesn't want to stay here any longer…" She turned to face him.

He glanced at her for a moment then she bowed and said good night, then left Reianshitsu standing there watching as she returned to her tent. He stood there a little longer then returned to the village and to his hotel. The rest of the night Reianshitsu sat on the bed thinking about what the old woman said.

"_Leave and never return, for your life's sake."_

"_Come back anytime."_

Reianshitsu blinked a few times. He wondered how the old man had gotten into his head, and the difference between his words and behavior, compared to the old gypsy's. Something wasn't right here, Reianshitsu knew it. The gypsy talked of stopping the old man from something. Reianshitsu was gonna find out what.

The next day about ten in the morning, Reianshitsu went back out to the mansion and knocked on the door. He expected another rat to come out but none did. A few minutes afterwards, a young woman opened the door.

"Hello, I was told I could come back—"

"Well you decided to come back after all," Leistraut said as he walked over to the door.

The young woman bowed and walked back disappearing somewhere in the large house. Reianshitsu fixed his gaze on the old man standing by the door, welcoming him inside. Reianshitsu walked past the threshold and inside the house again, properly this time.

"Did you have a good night?" Leistraut asked, walking around him toward the staircase.

"Yes I did, thank you sir…"

"No need for formality, come with me I have something to show you my boy," Leistraut said as he walked up the stairs.

Reianshitsu listened to the creaking of the old wood under the man's feet. A memory flashed into his head for a moment.

_The wood of the floor in the house above him creaked as men walked around, pacing or whatever they were doing. Reianshitsu looked up at the ceiling. He lived underground, a completely concrete room underground; his room was small, an individual living space off to the side from a huge main room with many drains in it. That's where they tortured him. Reianshitsu had never thought about torture as a little kid until he was here. He didn't know much about school terms or common language, all he knew was when you did certain things, they hurt. He learned everything by experience._

_This concrete lair was under a typical Chinese house where the Hide gang did their typical business. The wood was always creaking… Maybe they didn't hear it up there over their drunken yells. But Reianshitsu heard it, trapped in the small dark room alone, lying on the cold concrete. He heard it well._

"Are you coming my boy?" Leistraut had stopped and was looking back at Reianshitsu who was staring off into space.

Reianshitsu shook his head and blinked a few times, looking up at the old man. He slightly nodded then followed.

"My name is Reianshitsu," Reianshitsu added.

"Reianshitsu," the old man repeated. "You have a strong name."

"… Thanks," Reianshitsu replied as they reached the second floor.

Leistraut led Reianshitsu down a very long hall and into a room with various trinkets from around the world. He talked for a little about a few more important pieces, where he had gotten them and what sort of adventure he had in the process.

After about a half hour of listening to old stories, the old man led him back downstairs where they sat down in the living area, the house warmed by a fire. Reianshitsu was watching the fire and listening to the sounds coming from the kitchen.

"She's cooking something to eat, you should stay and enjoy her food," Leistraut offered.

"Oh no I couldn't," Reianshitsu turned his eyes to Leistraut.

"I insist," the old man replied, a grin forming across his face.

_He shouted off in Chinese, a language Reianshitsu was barely familiar with._

"_Lie!" Reianshitsu yelled back crouching up against the back wall, trying to get away from the man, a member of the Hide gang. The man reached out and grabbed Reianshitsu lifting him off the ground. He had an evil grin on his face that scared Reianshitsu. He didn't understand Chinese but he knew what that meant: Pain._

"You seem to phase out a lot," Leistraut commented, standing up and walking toward the dinning area.

"Sorry…" Reianshitsu stood up as well. "I think this house makes me nostalgic."

"Ahh, did you live in a place like this?" Leistraut sat down at the far end of the long table.

"No sir," Reianshitsu answered, hesitating to sit down at the other end.

The food soon came as the old man continued to talk of his old trips around the world. Reianshitsu listened intently, for anything that might be out of the ordinary, but he came up with nothing, though the food was rather delightful. It was well cooked and not typical meats, most was eel or lamb.

After their lunch Reianshitsu spent a few more hours with the old man, then left again, heading back to town. He had decided the man was definitely up to something but he still had no idea what. He wanted to go see the gypsy woman again but he was worried she might throw him out since he had not left like she's wanted.

He thought for a little then decided it was worth a try, so he walked back out to the gypsy camp. As he thought, Tamerina was refusing to talk to him. When she had seen him she went in her tent and would not allow him inside. So after spending a little time trying to get inside, Reianshitsu gave up and started to walk away, when he noticed Niamh again. He walked over to her and stood beside her.

"Who are you? Why do you talk to me? No one from the village ever wants anything to do with me," Niamh looked at him.

"My name is Reianshitsu," he answered, still looking out into the dark forest. "I talk to you because I'm no afraid of anything anyone tells me, and as for the villagers," he turned to face her. "That's their loss."

"You're not from around here are you?" Niamh said, more of a statement then a question.

"No, I'm not," Reianshitsu admitted.

"Where are you from?"

"Far away," Reianshitsu smiled.

"Do you miss home Reianshitsu?" Niamh asked.

"You ask a lot of questions, don't you?" Reianshitsu softly laughed. "Yeah sometimes I do, mostly I just miss my cat though, not my actual home."

"Hmm… interesting," Niamh commented, looking back into the woods. "What's your cat's name?"

"Her name is Kirai."

Niamh slightly smiled, telling Reianshitsu it was a pretty name. The two stood there a moment longer then a strong breeze blew past them both. Reianshitsu looked over the direction of the wind, it was coming from town.

"It will be night in a few hours," Niamh said. "Tonight is a full moon."

"Don't tell me you're gonna warn me a werewolf will hunt tonight…" Reianshitsu trailed off, gaze drifting around the town.

"I am. Call it superstition or stupidity but there is a werewolf here and he will hunt tonight, stay inside," Niamh warned, then returned to the camp.

Reianshitsu watched her. She returned to none other then Tamerina's tent, where she was let inside. Reianshitsu slightly twitched as threats and insults for the old woman ran through his mind. He looked back at the forest and sighed.

_What was she looking at? What was she looking for? ... A monster? Or… was it something else Reianshitsu couldn't understand?_

Reianshitsu decided against checking out the woods. Maybe there was a monster here but he didn't believe it to be a werewolf. It was more likely a psycho cannibal. Or at least that's what Reianshitsu thought, until that night that is.

After dark he heard _howling_ from the once quiet small hotel room he was sitting in. Outside the screams of the town's people lit up the night with horror. After watching the clock for about an hour, Reianshitsu left the hotel despite the young gypsy's wishes.

He walked down the street following some screaming. Toward the edge of town, between the gypsy's camp and the town was a wide open field, where various people were running hard away from town.

A man with a gun stopped and pointed it back at town, fear overwhelming his eyes. That's when Reianshitsu saw it. A werewolf, or what people would call that, sliced the man's head from his shoulder as he ran by faster then Reianshitsu's eyes could keep up with. The man's head hit the ground and rolled not far away from Reianshitsu.

Blood ran out onto the ground soaking into the grass and soil. The man's eyes stared up at the sky, no longer full of fear. They were blank, and lifeless. His bleeding body lay a few feet from the head. Reianshitsu looked up at the way the beast was running. It was straight for the gypsy's camp.

"Oh no…" Reianshitsu whispered under his breath before taking off.

He ran as fast as he could toward the camp, when he got there the beast had slain many people. Blood and spilt guts where everywhere, many people were dead, many gypsies. He heard a scream not far away. He ran off that way to find Niamh lying on the ground, the wolf's teeth buried in her neck. Reianshitsu picked up a stone and threw it at the beast.

It looked up at him with yellow eyes. Blood dripped from its oversized canine teeth. The rest of its teeth were sharp but not as long as its canines. Its snout was long like a Doberman's and its fur was a dull brown color. Its chest was well built and it stood at least seven feet tall. It had a look of anger in its eyes. It was mad, quite mad, at Reianshitsu.

It ran at him on all four legs, teeth raring as it snarled. Once in range it lunged at him, Reianshitsu dropping to his knees at just the right moment so it jumped over him. He got up to his feet and ran over to Niamh, picking her up. He glanced at the beast for a moment before a shot rang out as a villager shot a hole in the wolf's right arm. It took off running into the woods and disappearing in the shadows.

Tamerina ran over to him putting a hand on Niamh's forehead. One of the villagers pointed a gun at the young woman. Tamerina stepped between Reianshitsu and the villager telling them not to shoot. After a few moments of arguing the villagers left with the fact the village doctor had been eaten and she would bleed to death.

Tamerina turned to face Reianshitsu after the villagers were gone.

"She has been _bitten_," Tamerina warned. "She will turn into a demon wolf next full moon."

"She's your daughter… let me help her."

Tamerina looked at Reianshitsu for a moment longer then nodded and led him into her tent. Reianshitsu laid Niamh down and sit his bag beside her. He told Tamerina he needed some water so she gave him a bottle which he poured over Niamh's wound. He pulled a bottle of something out of his bag and filled a syringe with it. He shot Niamh with the mysterious liquid then began to sow up her wound. Tamerina watched silently as the young boy fixed up her daughter.

"Why did you not leave?" Tamerina asked.

"I went back to see the old man, he's very creepy I must admit… Is he the wolf?" Reianshitsu replied.

"It doesn't concern me, you should leave."

"I can't, I have to stop him… and if your daughter really will turn into a monster, her too."

"I pray for your sake you are strong enough," Tamerina admitted.

Reianshitsu looked up at her and smiled. He assured her everything would be okay as he put everything back in his bag. He soon left the gypsy's tent and went back to the distraught village. A lot of people had been massacred that night and everyone was in a state of chaos. Reianshitsu helped out with what he could but most people just pushed him away because he had helped the gypsy. He was even kicked out of the hotel he was staying at.

"Pleasant superstitious town…" Reianshitsu commented as he walked through the village. "This sucks, where am I supposed to go now?"

"Why don't you come stay with me?" Christopher Leistraut said as he walked up beside him.

Reianshitsu looked at him a moment.

"I couldn't impose…"

"You won't be, come, my maid will fix you something to eat," Leistraut said as he walked toward his mansion.

"Why are you so nice to me?" Reianshitsu asked as he hesitantly followed.

"My boy, you remind me of myself," the old man admitted, leading Reianshitsu back to his home.

Once they arrived Leistraut showed Reianshitsu to a guest bedroom where he we given something more formal to wear. Reianshitsu had tried to get out of it but the man who was taking care of him was insisting so he had little options. After he had changed he went downstairs for dinner and light conversation about the previous night.

Shortly after dinner Reianshitsu went to bed but found himself with a heavy case of insomnia. He wasn't comfortable here. It reminded him of other places. Every once in a while he'd hear something down the hall and be tempted to go check it out but decided against it. Once, he got up anyway and walked out into the hall.

The wooden floor of the second story didn't creak like the porch or the stairs. It didn't make any noises whatsoever. It was too quiet. The new moon didn't quite creep in through the windows since it was a very cloudy night. As he passed by a door he heard something on the other side. He stopped and looked at it then reached over and opened the door.

_Reianshitsu's head hung to the side, his jaw barely still attached to the rest of his face. Blood was everywhere, lots and lots of blood. Reianshitsu's arms were tied behind his back with a rope that dug into his skin. His ankles were chained to the concrete floor about a foot apart. A couple teeth were mixed in with the blood on the ground. Behind Reianshitsu was a bed of nails, evenly spaced and sharpened to very thin sharp points. Reianshitsu was shirtless and bleeding from a cut a little below his neck. _

_This was a game. There were sixteen people in the room; each of them would have a window of ten minutes to make him fall back onto the nails. Three men had previously gone, he had thirteen more to go. The three who had went loved to hit his face so he thought that might not be too bad. But thirty minutes of being hit hard against his jaw was not what he had hoped for. Another man stepped up. Reianshitsu looked at him a moment, he had a knife in his hand._

_Was this man the leader? Reianshitsu could never tell. But this one loved knives. For the following ten minutes Reianshitsu got his chest sliced into pieces. He started to feel faint from blood loss. He knew he couldn't pass out though, he would fall back, and that would be bad. Another man stepped up in front of him. Reianshitsu looked up at the older man with pain in his eyes. This man hauled off and hit Reianshitsu in a cut just below his rib cage. The man's hand brushed against Reianshitsu's right kidney as Reianshitsu's eyes went wide._

_Reianshitsu felt the man's hand being removed from his gut then he fell back. As soon as his spine hit the nails he screamed loud as he stared up at the ceiling. He knew no one up there would hear him… ever._

Reianshitsu blinked a few times then looked around the rest of the room before returning his gaze to the bed of nails on a table in the center of the room. He walked over and ran his finger across a nail on the corner.

"Do you like torture my boy?"

Reianshitsu slightly jumped and looked back at the old man standing in the door way with that grin across his face again.

"N-No…"

"Torture is vile no matter where it's done," Leistraut commented walking over to Reianshitsu. "But something about Chinese torture… something makes it different would you agree?"

"I-I wouldn't know," Reianshitsu replied.

"Hmm, well maybe one day you should look it up," Leistraut suggested.

"I should get back in bed, I just thought I heard someone," Reianshitsu said walking out of the room.

"Sleep well my boy," Leistraut said, following the younger boy out.

"Thank you Mister Leistraut," Reianshitsu said as he returned to his room, and shut the door. He slid down against it and looked across the room. He began to wonder what was going on.

He spent the rest of three weeks on edge in the house, sleeping very little and when he did he had nightmares. The food was intriguing and always something different though it wasn't the best taste he'd had in his life. Reianshitsu kept having gruesome flashbacks to his past in China.

"The gypsy's are leaving today, you should go see them off," Leistraut said as he walked Reianshitsu to the door. "See you when you return my boy."

Reianshitsu left calmly and walked out to the gypsy camp. They were all packing up and fixing to head out. Reianshitsu walked over to Niamh who was staring off into the village.

"You should've let me die! Now I will hunt and kill," Niamh said looking at him with tears in her eyes.

"My apologies?" Reianshitsu replied a little uncertain.

"Why did you save me?" Niamh asked staring up at him.

"How could I not?" Reianshitsu replied.

"You are definitely not from around here…" Niamh commented looking away from him.

"Sorry I'm not local then," Reianshitsu sighed looking out toward the village.

"They hate you now don't they?" Niamh asked rhetorically.

"Yes, they do, but I don't care… Where is the caravan headed next?"

"To a town called Gremmelbach," Niamh informed him as she turned back to face him.

"Have fun there," Reianshitsu smiled as he looked at her.

"… Thank you," Niamh turned and started walking back to the village but was stopped when Reianshitsu grabbed her wrist.

"You're heart will be free one day, I promise," Reianshitsu said, letting go of her hand.

Niamh slightly smiled before nodding, then returned to the camp. Reianshitsu hesitated before following, hoping to find Tamerina before she was gone. He didn't expect he'd ever see any of these people again. He would go back to America, and to Kirai, once he had killed the old man. Tamerina walked up beside him while he was looking off in another direction.

"You have not yet left? You are persistent young one," Tamerina commented.

Reianshitsu looked at her and smiled.

"Now that we are leaving you should as well," Tamerina said.

"In another week it will be the full moon, I give you my word Lady Tamerina, I will kill the beast and leave this place."

"… Very well then," she replied, touching his cheeks with her hands gently. "May the saints protect you on your mission."

"Thank you," Reianshitsu smiled a little more.

"Good bye then, Sur—"

"My name isn't Surira anymore, it's Reianshitsu now," Reianshitsu corrected her.

"Reianshitsu," Tamerina stepped back. "Farewell."

With that, Tamerina and the rest of the gypsy's that were still alive left. Reianshitsu watched them leave with a little sadness in his heart. He couldn't explain why, but he missed them. He didn't quite want them to leave. He shook his head and started back to town.

_It doesn't matter, once I am done next week I will leave too._

But the next week was harder then Reianshitsu expected. The old man had started showing him things and telling him things he hadn't previously. Things that would typically not be believed; horrific tales that would be considered false by any other place. Reianshitsu began to wonder why he even came here in the first place. The night of the full moon came much too fast. Reianshitsu didn't have silver weapons or an idea how to fight a werewolf, but it didn't matter. He would kill it anyway.

That night, the screams of the town's people were heard from where Reianshitsu was in the huge mansions. There was nothing Reianshitsu could do for them. He waited through the night trying to figure out what to do. He looked outside and saw the cross. That was it!

There was pure silver around the cross, or so it looked. Reianshitsu ran outside and over to the cross. He tried to pull it up out of the ground but had no luck so he went back inside. He looked all over the house trying to find something to pull it up with. He found a shovel in a closet towards the back of the house. He went back outside and started digging up the cross. That's when it all got quiet.

The town was dead silent, Reianshitsu figured they had all passed. Howling was heard not far in the distance. Reianshitsu finally got the cross up out of the ground then heard footsteps a little behind him. He turned around and saw the monster, the wolf of demons, standing on two feet and staring right at him.

"Hello Leistraut, did you enjoy your meal?" Reianshitsu asked, dropping the shovel.

The wolf roared and got down on all fours. It started to growl. It fangs, drenched in blood, tempted him with thoughts of running. Reianshitsu hadn't been afraid to run in his life, he wasn't a hero. He knew if things were looking bad, you should high tail it out of there. But this… this was different. The wolf ran at him, lifting its right paw to dig his long, sharp nails into Reianshitsu's chest.

_Blood dripped from Reianshitsu's face as five cut stretched from his top left hair line to the bottom right side of his chin. He looked up at the man standing in front of him, wearing gloves made of steel with makeshift cat claws on them. The man raised his hand to scratch the other side of his face…_

Reianshitsu grabbed the wolf's wrist and threw up his legs then kicked the wolf's face into the dirt. He heard a snap as the shoulder joint broke. Reianshitsu dropped the lifeless hand and picked up the cross.

He hit the ground with a thud as the wolf jumped on him. It dug into his chest spilling blood everywhere. Reianshitsu felt his ribs break as he was roughly dug into. He reached up his hand with the cross and stabbed the monster's skull. It jumped back standing on two legs again. Reianshitsu stood up on his feet feeling blood pour from his body. His hand was aching, the cross had diced it up pretty bad.

Reianshitsu pointed the cross at the monster.

"Come and get me Mister Leistraut!" Reianshitsu yelled.

The werewolf ran at him. Reianshitsu moved out of the way just before the werewolf reached him and jumped on its back. He drove the cross through the wolf's chest and pushed it down toward its waist. It made a horrid screaming noise as it threw him back against the ground. It turned and jumped down on him reaching forward with it's over-sized canines.

_我要咬你，你__这__小__傻__瓜！__A man yelled loudly at Reianshitsu as he stabbed his stomach with a katana. Reianshitsu coughed up a lot of blood as his head hung. He was tied to a steel table by chains with spikes that dug into his skin. Another man leaned in toward his cheek and bit a chunk of skin clean off his face. He spit it out in some solution that looked like acid though it didn't dissolve the skin. After a few seconds, another man wearing thick gloves pulled the piece out and stuck it against Reianshitsu's bleeding face. Against the open wound… it did feel like acid. Reianshitsu screamed but soon had a rag, a little too big, shoved into his mouth then covered with tape. He moaned into the rag as they sowed the acidic piece of skin back on his jaw. _

Reianshitsu took a strong hold of the cross and pulled it up cutting the monsters heart in half. The monster turned back into Leistraut as a human and collapsed on top of him. Reianshitsu pushed him off and got up, holding his stomach so nothing else fell out but blood. He stumbled back over to the house and inside. He found his bag and pulled out a needle and some thread. He sowed up his wound wincing every time he stuck himself.

After he sowed up his wounds he got up to his feet and walked back into the town. Everyone was _dead_. Blood and guts, disfigured body parts and mutilated body remains where spilt all across the road. Reianshitsu stumbled through the deserted streets keeping his eyes on the environment in front of him. All around the town was forest, Reianshitsu wondered if he would make it.

Reianshitsu heard blood curdling screams from a long distance away. He looked around; there was still a horse in the stables. He got on it and let its binds free. It took off running and Reianshitsu grabbed a hold of its neck. Reianshitsu had never ridden a horse before. But then, he'd never killed a werewolf or talked with gypsies before either. The horse ran hard and fast right towards the screams.

The sun peaked over the horizon as Reianshitsu stopped the horse in a slaughtered gypsy camp. He got off the horse and looked around. The tents were shredded in pieces. Clothes and body parts were just as mutilated. In the distance Reianshitsu saw lady Tamerina covered in blood. His eyes went wide.

"Lady Tamerina!" He yelled as he ran over to her.

He gently lifted her up off the ground a little and held her in his arms. She looked up at him blood dripping from her mouth.

"Rei…anshitsu…"

"Lady Tamerina, it'll be okay I'll—"

"My life is over… Reianshitsu… you must… you must kill Niamh, she is in the forest…" Tamerina closed her eyes, coughing up blood.

"Ni-Niamh? ... Lady Tamerina…" Reianshitsu softly spoke.

Lady Tamerina reached up and softly touched his cheek.

"May the saints… protect you and… give you strength…. 我们将再次会晤," Tamerina said with a slight smile, putting something in his hand.

Reianshitsu started to say something when her hand fell from his cheek and her head fall back, lifeless and dead. Reianshitsu's eyes widened for a moment then he noticed what Tamerina had put in his hand. It was a silver dagger, made of pure silver. Reianshitsu put the dagger in his jacket pocket then picked up Tamerina and walked over toward the remains of the campfire. He laid her body on the ash.

"_Ash can be as deadly as poison."_

Reianshitsu pushed the thoughts of the old man out of his head. He leaned down and kissed Tamerina's forehead then started a fire.

"Sayonara… Lady Tamerina."

After watching the fire burn for a while and sitting near it thinking, Reianshitsu stood up and put it out. Lady Tamerina's body was ash now, and it wasn't poison. Reianshitsu looked at the forest before letting the horse go to run free.

He picked up his bag and put it over his shoulder, throwing one last glance at the ashes.

_The smell of death, rotting bodies, and death was in the air. Reianshitsu hadn't seen life beyond torture for eleven years. He slowly walked up the stairs, carrying a bag with a few body pieces that would still be okay to eat, the rest he left for the rats. There was a wooden door at the top of the stairs, it led to the house the Hide gang had done other business in when they weren't torturing him. Reianshitsu had never seen the other side. He placed his hands firmly against the door but it didn't budge. The he noticed the handle. He reached forward and touched it opening the door. Sunlight hit his face leaking in from a window. He walked over to the window and looked outside._

_There were people everyone, Chinese men and women, boys and girls. They were wandering about doing their business. Some looked pissed and Reianshitsu slightly backed up seeing their expression. His Chinese was rusty but he had learned facial expressions. Though… as a little girl approached the window, she had an expression he'd never seen before._

_She had a beautiful, big smile across her face, as she waved at him. After a moment of him just watching her, she tapped on the window. A few minutes later a woman down the street called her name and the little girl waved and ran off. Reianshitsu watched her disappear into the crowds then looked down for a moment. He tried to mimic her smile but with no luck. But he did feel a little enlightened, he was free of those men now, he was free to be mad or depressed or happy, he could be whatever he wanted._

_A slight smile faded in on his face. This was his life now. His heart was finally free._

"Niamh… I'm sorry, but I will come set you free…" Reianshitsu whispered to himself, disappearing into the trees.


End file.
